The Kentucky Senate passed a bill limiting drag shows on public property or in places where they might be seen by children. The bill passed 26-6. It now heads to the House where it’s expected to pass through the Republican supermajority. It’s unclear if Governor Andy Beshear will sign the bill, but the votes are likely veto-proof.
Republican Senator Lindsay Tichenor, the lead sponsor of the bill, was asked if she had ever been to a drag show. She said she had. She was then asked if she found it sexually arousing. The question was declared outside of the Senate’s rules of decorum.
This bill is part of a wave of bills across conservative lead states that restrict activities of LGTBQ citizens. The sponsors insist that the purpose of the bills is to prevent children from being "groomed" or "sexualized." Opponents of the bills say the bills create a boogeyman for the GOP, and they say nothing about things like beauty pageants where little girls wear bikinis and dress up like adults.
There are few statistics that prove that there is a correlation between drag shows and child sexual assault or a tendency toward homosexuality. The vast majority of child sexual abuse happens at the hands of "heterosexual" men, with both boys and girls as victims.
The bill will need to be taken up and passed in the next few days in the House as the General Assembly will convene soon for a break.
Staff Report by The Kentucky Daily